Through their own eyes: A media-based group approach to adolescent trauma

Carol Tosone, Caroline Rosenthal Gelman, Lynne McVeigh

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper describes the process of two groups of students from highschools located in the immediate vicinity of the World Trade Center grappling to make sense of the events of September 11 through the creation of a documentary chronicling their experiences. The process of creating these videos mirrored the process and curative factors of a psychotherapy group in a non-stigmatizing, innovative, and accessible format, one generated by the students themselves with the assistance of professionals in the visual and performing arts. After reviewing the literature on the potential impact of violence on adolescents and the use of group treatment, especially in school settings, as an optimal choice for this population, we describe the distinctive process of the two separate groups of students, each culminating in different expressions of their very personal experience of September 11. We understand and contextualize their process through the lens of the therapeutic dynamics and elements of group work.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)415-432
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal of Group Psychotherapy
Volume55
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2005

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology

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